


Star Wars Apparitions

by TheLoneRebels



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anidala, Beam me up Wolfy, Eventual Smut, Ezrabine, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kanan is Whole Again, Obitine, Sabezra - Freeform, Yoda is a Voyeur, eventual LEMONS, kanera - Freeform, rexsoka
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2019-08-21 10:13:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16574528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneRebels/pseuds/TheLoneRebels
Summary: *I have rewritten and started this story over, but some scenes are pretty much the same, just no longer in 1st person. There have been a few big changes in character development, though, so giving it a thorough re-read is recommended.* :D  And Chapter 3 is completely new!To make it so that Kanan doesn't die and Ezra doesn't leave, Kanan, Ahsoka, and Anakin embark on a crazy journey in the World Between Worlds to try and change history and the future. They end up changing way more than they ever thought. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not.





	1. Transported

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Star Wars**

* * *

**There is an explanation of how the calendar works in the original 'Flame of Hope' if you're curious.**

* * *

**Star Wars Apparitions**

**Transported:**

_D15/1 BBY, Lothal_

The mountain above them shook, sending small rocks raining over them. The hard floor of the cave beneath their feet trembled. The lothwolves growled, radiating displeasure. The Force around Kanan rippled with the echoes of the bombs exploding above ground.

Kanan let the Force guide his balance as he flowed with the movements of the ground. He frowned as most of his companions were jostled, their signatures turning murky from fear.

"The Empire's bombing the mountains!" Ryder cried out, his signature falling against a wall for support as the floor shook harder than before.

The only other person down in the cave with Kanan who wasn't near to panicking was his Padawan. Ezra was concentrating on the lothwolf with the brightest signature. He could feel the strength of the connection Ezra had with the wolf and was once again impressed by how far the boy had progressed in his level of maturity in the Force. The angsty teen who couldn't even settle down enough to connect to a simple lothcat was long gone. Now Ezra was essentially at the level of a Master when it came to Animal Bonding and it was easily his strongest Force ability. Kanan was no slouch when it came to bonding with animals, but it wasn't his main gift.

Before he'd been blinded by Maul, Kanan had believed his strongest ability was his Force Jump, but now... Now he knew better. He'd needed to lose his sight to discover that his real gift was his ability to use Force Sight. He'd learned a lot more about himself, his family, and those around him than he'd ever thought to know once he opened himself up to the Force and actually paid attention to what was going on around him. But even though he was grateful to the Force for blessing him as it had, there would always be a part of him that wanted to see again for real.

That was the part of him that whimpered at the loss of seeing his precious Hera. The part that knew it was missing seeing the kids grow up into adults. The part that cringed every time Sabine made a new painting and everyone else showered her with praise and he had to stand back and stay silent because even the strongest Force Sight wasn't intricate enough to convey the colour and depth she put into her paintings. He could generally get a sense of the image in her paintings if it was of an actual object like the Ghost, the same way he could pick up Aurebesh markings, but if it was an abstract, he got nothing and it had been painful to admit.

Now, he watched as Sabine hovered behind Ezra as close as she dared get to the lothwolf that towered over them. Her emotions were reaching for Ezra in search of comfort even if her body wasn't quite willing to go that far. In the underground cave that Kanan assumed was dark, he doubted that anyone else saw Ezra reach back and brush a hand over her forearm for a second, but Kanan most certainly caught the movement. He also noticed how she instantly calmed with his reassurance. Those two were about as bonded as they could get without actually merging their signatures in the most intimate way possible. (And Kanan had a feeling that wasn't too far off now that someone had finally admitted they had feelings for the other and got the ball rolling.) He and Hera had a bet going to see how long it would take for the kids to admit to the rest of them that they weren't just best friends anymore.

Even as Ezra was soothing his not so secret girlfriend, he was also having a conversation with the lead wolf. "We've got to get out of here," he told it out loud, probably for the benefit of the others, since Kanan could sense that Ezra and the wolf were now having a much more elaborate and silent conversation.

As the mountain above them growled like deadly thunder once again, the wolf turned and held its tail up for Ezra to grab. Ezra did, after a moment's hesitation. "Everyone join hands," he called.

Sabine's hand practically flew into Ezra's and undoubtedly with a bone crunching grip. "Ezra!" she called on a rising note as the cave rumbled and then cracked loudly as fractures shot along the rock walls.

"The cave is going to collapse!" Zeb all but yelled as he lunged forward and grabbed onto Sabine's free hand.

Kanan pulled Ryder away from a wall just as a large section of the ceiling of the cave above him collapsed right he'd been standing. The man was in such shock that he barely noticed as Kanan pushed him towards Zeb and the lasat grabbed Ryder's hand. "There's no way out of here," Ryder mumbled despairingly even as the little train of trapped Rebels started moving as the lothwolf pulled them along.

Kanan quickly grabbed Ryder's free hand and immediately got his fingers squashed. He did his best to send Ryder a wave of calm even as he said, "That we know of. Have faith in Ezra and the wolves."

Ryder snorted under his breath, but his signature calmed a little and the grip on Kanan's hand eased to bearable.

After a few hesitantly placed steps from those in front of him, Kanan sucked in a breath as a small glint of brilliant light appeared in the Force. That glint swiftly grew to the point that he had to focus elsewhere or be in danger of ending up mentally blind from the swirling maelstrom of light. He thought he saw one of the two darker wolves disappear within it and Kanan realized it must be a portal of some kind.

A Force portal.

He'd never heard of such a thing, but somehow, he wasn't surprised. Ezra's lothwolves were more than a little too strong in the Force to be normal beasts and their convenient timing for showing up on a planet that Kanan had been wandering around on for years without a hint of their presence could not be a coincidence.

Within moments of the portal opening, Kanan felt a wave of SOMETHING sweep over the others and all of their signatures went into almost a sleep state, but they were still walking. Ryder's grip loosened even more on his hand, but kept hold lightly. Kanan couldn't help but worry about why the wolves hadn't put him in a trance too. What did they want with him? Why did they keep calling him by his old name? They had seemed particularly determined to make sure he was going on this journey with them. Now he wondered why.

Kanan found out soon enough.

The line of wolves and people walked through the portal, which was once a solid rock wall. One of the wolves stepped through last and the portal closed behind it. Kanan focused behind him and couldn't 'see' the blinding light anymore; just a very large and intimidating signature of a wolf that growled softly at him to keep moving.

 _'I get it,'_ he thought to the wolf. _'You don't have to be rude about it.'_

The wolf huffed out a canine laugh.

Kanan couldn't see what they were walking on now, but it didn't feel like rock or dirt or even duracrete. The ground beneath them didn't feel like anything he'd ever felt before but he imagined it would be similar to the sensation of walking on water, if that were even possible.

The space around Kanan felt vast and limitless; empty but full at the same time in the most confusing fashion. There were random streaks of light energy crisscrossing and swooping all around him. He finally figured out they were walking on one of the streaks of light after maybe a minute of marching. There were also circles of still energy to the sides of the streaks of light. Kanan concluded those might be more portals.

To say he was feeling pretty much flabbergasted and mind blown would be an understatement.

He wished Ezra was awake so he could describe what he saw, but Kanan could feel how quiet his padawan's mind was. There was no way he was actually registering any of this.

Suddenly, Kanan felt very large teeth grab the back of his shirt near the collar. The last wolf had been practically breathing down his neck, but he hadn't felt any real menace from it, leaving him very surprised by the sudden attack.

The wolf picked Kanan up, making him lose the loose grip he had on Ryder's hand, and he threw the Jedi over the edge of the streak of light they were walking on. He swallowed the urge to scream as he fell, determinedly holding onto clear thinking out of training alone. Kanan fell a few more metres before he spotted another streak of light and just managed to catch the edge of it with one hand. He hung for a moment, suspended by his fingertips and caught his breath before he pulled himself up onto the pathway and flopped down onto his back.

As he calmed his racing heart, Kanan sought out the signatures of the others, but they were gone.

He had been thrown into this pit of endlessness and left behind.

On purpose.

Despair overwhelmed him for a minute or two as morbid thoughts flooded him. He would never see Hera again. He would never see the child he'd just discovered that she carried this very morning. He would never see Ezra again. Or Sabine or Zeb. He would never feel a sun on his face again. Feel the wind or the grass. Feel Hera's soft weight in his arms. Never eat space waffles again with his favourite yogan flavoured syrup. He would die in here. Alone.

Kanan gave himself a mental slap.

There was no need for dramatics just yet. The wolves must have had a reason for this. He just had to figure it out.

He got down on his knees in the pose that instantly gave him a sense of comfort and familiarity and cleared his mind. It was time for some serious meditation.

The Force would help him. It always did, when he let it.

* * *

Ezra didn't know he'd been asleep until he woke up in the dark with the white lothcat standing on his chest and licking his face with its rough tongue. Chuckling, Ezra scratched it behind the ear, making it purr in pleasure, as he sat up and looked around.

He was lying on a rocky section in the mountains which were tipped with snow, the white easy to see against the star speckled sky.

Wait.

Snow?

Stars?

Ezra could have sworn he was just in a warm section of Lothal before they went into the caves. And it had been midmorning at the latest. His eyes widened as he realized there should be more people here, wherever HERE was.

Sabine! Where was Sabine?!

Closing his eyes, he reached for their bond, then sighed in relief as he sensed her very near. Ezra sprang to his feet, which dislodged the lothcat that give him a very disgusted look. He relaxed as he saw a glimpse of her on the other side of a boulder only a few metres away. Her colourful armour was muted in the dark, but still stood out against the deep colours of the rocks. Bounding over to her, Ezra knelt beside her and pulled her upper body into his lap and across one arm, then tugged off her helmet.

She looked so peaceful in her sleep it was almost a shame to wake her, but he did anyway because something wasn't right. Aside from the time and location change, the Force didn't feel right, if that made sense. It felt kind of like it was calling out for help, its cries increasing in intensity as he focused on it for half a moment. Very strange indeed.

Ezra stroked the back of a finger over her soft cheek, wondering if there was time to pull his gloves off and indulge in the sensual pleasure that was her, but deciding against it. She hmmmmed ever so softly, the hint of a smile curving her lips upward. He did allow himself to indulge in something that he hadn't yet had the opportunity to try, since their changed relationship was only half a month in the making; Ezra curled downwards and pressed his mouth to hers ever so gently, kissing her awake.

She hmmmed in pleasure as she woke, her lips pressing back against his and her arm snaking around his neck and pulling him down just a little closer. Ezra decided he liked kissing her awake very much indeed and hoped to do so a thousand more times in the future. That would be easier if they didn't have to keep their relationship a secret, but Sabine was afraid her family would hunt him down and eviscerate him in his sleep or something like that if they found out. He'd decided to indulge her for now, but Ezra wanted the whole shebang, marriage, kids, and all; there was no way they were going to keep this secret for long. Besides, he had the feeling that Kanan already knew; it was practically impossible to keep secrets from his Master now.

Their sweet kiss went from loving to passionate in an instant when her tongue demanded entry. Ezra get lost in the still new sensations of such overwhelming desire for a minute or so, but that sense of urgency from the Force eventually made itself known again and stopped him from getting carried away. Ezra reluctantly pulled back. Sabine automatically tried to follow until her eyes opened and she smiled at him with a flash of teeth in the dark for half an instant before she registered that it was nighttime and cold enough to see their panting breaths in the moonlight. She immediately scrambled off his lap, jumped to her feet, and looked around in a state of battle readiness, her hands on her blasters and tension radiating from her.

Ezra had seen this from her before when they were on long stakeout missions and she'd been startled awake by something when it was his turn to keep watch. (Usually him accidentally making some sort of noise.) Sabine was always ready for anything and you didn't want to get on her bad side by waking her up unless there was a good reason. She was also very good at putting a bruise on his arm if she thought for even an instant he'd done it on purpose. (He might have, once or twice when he was bored out of his mind.) Either way, he now knew he could kiss her awake and very much like the consequences.

Ezra rose to his feet as well, at about half the speed, and stood beside her. He put a hand on the small of her back, still thrilling that he now had the privilege to do such things, and siphoned off a bit of her adrenaline high through their bond and gave it to the Force. Sabine turned her head and looked up at him as her muscles relaxed a tiny fraction under his hand but her hands stayed on her blasters. "Where the kriff are we?"

"I don't know," Ezra replied with a shrug, looking apologetic that he couldn't answer her question.

"And where are the others?" she said, shrugging off his hand and walking back to her helmet and plunking it back on her head, indicating she wasn't comfortable with the situation and was still prepared for war.

"I'm here," Zeb's voice called from behind a small cone shaped mountain just before he appeared, lugging a still out of it Ryder over his shoulder. He more or less flopped the man on the ground in front of them, which was enough to wake up the older man.

Ryder's eyes popped open and he sat up, looking around wildly with comically wide eyes. "Where the kriff are we?" he demanded.

Ezra chuckled quietly to himself. "That does appear to be the question of the hour, doesn't it?" And that's when he noticed they were still one short. "You didn't see Kanan anywhere, did you?" he demanded of Zeb.

Zeb shook his head slowly, ears flattening in worry. "Kanan!" he called out loud enough to wake the dead, turning around in a circle as if that would make their fearless leader appear.

"Where's Kanan?" Sabine said worriedly, looking at Ezra expectantly.

Ezra closed his eyes and reached for his bond with Kanan. And stretched even further. It took every ounce of concentration he had to find the tiny flicker that was Kanan within him. It was so faint, so far away, but still there. This was even worse than when he was on the other side of the galaxy when they ran separate missions. But Ezra knew Kanan had been on Lothal with them not even... Actually, he didn't know when that was anymore. Everything was so confusing.

He opened his eyes to see everyone peering at him with hopeful looks. "Did you find him?" Zeb asked. On a normal day, this request would be well within his capabilities. But today was not normal.

Ezra shook his head in remorse. "I don't know where he is. He's alive, but very very far away. Like, other side of the galaxy far away. Or further."

"Kriff," and, "Karabast," came from Sabine and Zeb at the same time. Ezra nodded in agreement.

"How did this even happen?" Ryder asked.

"I don't know that either. The wolves did something, I guess." Ezra said with another shrug.

Speaking of animals, he noticed that the white lothcat had made itself scarce once again. he also noticed the white outline of the alpha lothwolf standing on an outcropping of rock about half a kilometre away. Ezra got the impression he was only seeing him now because he wanted him to.

A sense of anger swirled through him that he had to fight to push away. Without a word to the others, Ezra took off running towards the wolf, bounding across the distance in a handful of Force assisted leaps.

"Ezra! Where...?" Sabine called after him before her voice faded away as she also spotted his target. Ezra didn't bother to answer, just assumed they would follow him at their own pace.

When he was close enough, he skidded to a stop and glared at the wolf, still fighting with his anger but controlling it, barely. Ezra glared at the wolf. "What did you do to Kanan?!" he demanded.

The lothwolf didn't bother to answer, just stared at Ezra with those glowing gold eyes for a moment before he turned his head and looked off in the distance. Frustrated, Ezra followed his gaze and stopped breathing as he finally understood why the Force was crying.

The Empire had found the Jedi Temple and they were tearing it apart, floodlights illuminating their camp and what was left of the mountain Temple. There were blocks of stone lined up in rows as they systematically shaved the Temple down one layer at a time. The inner doors had sealed themselves off, but it wouldn't be long before they managed to dig right past them with the massive machines he could see parked under the lights. "No." Ezra breathed out, eyes stinging from sudden tears. "Force, no." He blinked the tears back and looked at the wolf again. "Where is Kanan?" he asked again, in a quieter, much more resigned tone.

The wolf huffed a wolfy sigh and looked at the Temple again.

"He's in there? But I don't feel him nearby. Are you sure?"

The wolf glared at Ezra like he was asking a stupid question.

Ezra supposed he was. If anyone knew where Kanan was, it would be the wolf that had dropped him off somewhere else. "Sorry," he apologized softly.

The wolf actually rolled its eyes at him and opened its mouth in something resembling a smirk.

Sabine and the others came running up at this point, finally catching up. They skidded to a stop as well as they saw the Imperial encampment off in the distance. "What the karabast?!" Zeb exclaimed.

"Is that the Temple?" Sabine asked quietly, coming to stand beside Ezra and lend as much support as she could, knowing he would need it. She was more than smart enough to figure out the puzzle pieces of what she was looking at even though she'd never seen the Jedi Temple before.

"Yeah. What's left of it," Ezra said morosely. "And according to Wolfy here, Kanan's in there."

"How did he...?" She started to say, and then stopped herself with a shake of the head. "That doesn't matter. It's obvious what we were brought here for; we have to stop them and find Kanan."

Ezra smiled at his girl thankfully, so grateful she was the no nonsense type whose mission in life seemed to be figuring out how to get things done in the fastest, most efficient way possibly. (And if it involved blowing up whatever was in her way, all the better.) "That's exactly what I was thinking."

'Wolfy' (who had chuffed in amusement when Ezra called him that) picked up what he thought was just another large rock in his sharp teeth and carried it over to Ezra, dropping it within a fraction of his toes, then looked from it to Ezra and back again meaningfully. "LISTEN," he very clearly rumbled out in his deep voice.

"Holy poodoo," Ryder breathed, the only one left who wasn't somewhat inured to the strange and unbelievable that happened around Kanan and Ezra on a regular basis. "It talks!"

Ezra smirked. "I did say so this morning when I explained how Sabine and I ended up back at camp. It's not my fault no one but Kanan believed me."

"I think I might have to start," Ryder muttered.

Ryder and the others, who had all scrambled back when the wolf approached, all crept forward again and stared down at the rock as Sabine shone a light on it. But it wasn't a rock, it was actually a piece of a stone tablet or something with many patterns and symbols on it.

"What is this?" Ezra asked the lothwolf before looking up, but he was gone. Just like that. Without a sound or even a whisper of air. Freaky.

"Where'd he go?" Zeb essentially whined, looking rather scared for a massive male being.

"Don't know," Ezra shrugged slightly. "But I don't sense him anymore, so he's probably gone for now. On the other hand..." he added, unable to resist the temptation of messing with Zeb a little. "...he might be circling around so he can pounce on you from behind."

Zeb whirled, his bo-rifle appearing in his hands in an instant as he peered into the dark around them, ears flat to his head and a hint of growl rumbling from him.

Ezra held back the chuckles for as long as he could, but they emerged eventually anyway, which made Sabine laugh too. Ryder didn't seem as inclined towards humour and just shook his head at him like he was a naughty child. That just made Ezra grin at the much older man cheekily.

Zeb whirled back around and snarled at Ezra as he realized he'd been pranked. "I oughta shoot you just because."

The boy held his arms out in an 'I'm unarmed' motion. "Be my guest. But you get to tell Kanan and Hera why I'm out of commission."

Zeb grumbled to himself as he slid his rifle to his back again, giving Ezra a dirty look that translated to, 'I'll get you later, you brat'.

Ezra smirked and gave him his own, 'bring it, furball' look. They'd perfected these looks years ago and no longer needed the words that used to go with them, and they still worked great. It was nice having an older brother / uncle type person to bug.

Apparently ready for a change of subject, Zeb nudged the tablet with a foot. "So what's this?"

They all looked at their resident genius; the one and only Sabine Wren. (Hopefully soon to be Wren-Bridger, if Ezra had any say in it.)

She huffed, and Ezra was almost certain she was rolling her eyes at them under her helmet. With a sigh, she pulled her helmet off as she knelt in front of the tablet, running a hand through the dark silk of her hair absently to straighten it in an automatic gesture. She placed her helmet down beside her and then traced the symbols that swirled over the tablet and three differently configured hands.

"I wish he'd told you what these symbols mean before taking off," she said with an air of exasperation. "I've never seen anything like them before. But, maybe, if I can get close to the Temple and see more to compare them to, I can figure out what they mean."

"Then that's what we'll do," Ezra said eagerly. "We have to get in there anyway to get Kanan."

"Do you really think going down there is a good idea?" Ryder said, attempting to be the voice of reason. "Even though it's night, I see enough people wandering around that there's no way you're going to be able to just sneak in."

"I wasn't planning on sneaking," Ezra said smugly as he watched a couple of specs that quickly grew into scout troopers do a perimeter sweep of the area on their bikes. Walking up to the edge of the cliff they were standing on, he kept an eye on their progress as he continued to talk. "I was thinking of walking right in like we belong." And with that, Ezra dove off the edge, arms spread and a grin on his face as the wind whipped past.


	2. Healing

**Healing:**

_D15/1 BBY, World Between Worlds_

Kanan's sense of time was long gone by the time he finally had a breakthrough within himself.

For hours, or maybe it was days, he knelt in his comforting meditation pose and ran through the usual meditation routines, letting the Force fill him with its presence. It was very soothing, to be sure, but he also felt like he wasn't accomplishing anything he couldn't be doing in any other place other than this one.

This place was special. Kanan knew it. He could feel it. It was a gateway land. The Force played here like a happy child with the wisdom of an ancient grandmother. It was free, but restrained. Joyful, but resigned. Light, but contained within the Dark. The Force was everything. In everything. Of everything.

And the longer he meditated, the more he felt like the Force was chiding him for not SEEING. Not HEARING. Not UNDERSTANDING.

Ripping the mask off his face, Kanan slammed it into the wave of light he was kneeling on and stood abruptly. "What do you want from me?!" Kanan called out into the vast space that was empty and yet not. "Why am I here?!"

His voice echoed and bounced, taunting him. " _What do you want? Do you want? You want? Want_? _Want? Want_?"

That gave Kanan pause, and he froze, barely breathing. Was it only a coincidence that only those words echoed back? He doubted it very much.

What did he want? Well, that list was probably a truly long one. But there were a few that stood out.

Kanan wanted peace for the galaxy.

He wanted to SEE Hera again.

He wanted to change the past so that the Jedi Order never fell and his Master didn't die.

He wanted to raise a family with Hera and live happily ever after with her and the rest of his Spectre family.

But of all of those options, there was only one that Kanan had promised to do and had broken his word on. "I want to see my Hera again," Kanan whispered in a torn voice, eyes stinging with the tears that rose at how hopeless he felt in that moment.

As the minutes dragged on with no earth shattering event happening in the quiet space, he sank back down to his knees and bowed his head. Mocking laughter escaped him for thinking the echoes had meant anything. It was just a trick of the space.

" _Listen with your heart, young one_ ," a gentle female voice said softly nearby, making Kanan's head snap up and point towards the sound.

He focused on one of the portal entrances only a metre or so to his right and felt the extra energy in it. Was the voice coming from there?

" _Like this_?" a young sounding male voice asked.

" _Exactly_." The female praised. " _Now focus on the patient and tell me where he hurts_."

Kanan waited with bated breath for the youngling's answer. It sounded like he was hearing a lesson between a Force Healer and her Padawan. Even when the Temple was still in existence, gifted Force Healers had stopped being born long ago. No one knew why, and the art of healing with the Force had been essentially lost, with the exception of what amounted to first aid. Perhaps it was because they'd become so dependent on bacta tanks and med droids, the Force had removed the gift from the Jedi.

" _He has a concussion. His brain is whimpering_ ," the youngling whispered.

" _Very good_ ," the Healer said. " _Now focus with your mind and picture the injured area. Sooth it with the Force. Picture the individual brain cells repairing themselves one at a time. You don't want to rush and miss any._ "

" _Yes, Master_ ," the padawan whispered.

Kanan was so focused on their conversation he could even hear their breathing and ended up smiling in shared triumph with the youngling when he gave a little cheer of completion some ten minutes later.

" _I did it! His brain feels happy again_."

" _Yes, you did_ ," the Master replied, her tone warm.

" _Shouldn't he wake up now_?" the padawan's voice trembled with worry all of a sudden.

" _He will when he's ready_ ," she reassured. " _His brain has gone through a traumatic experience. It's resting and rebooting now, you can feel it if you listen with your heart again."_

There was a pause again, and then the padawan's voice was much happier. " _Yes, yes I can. He really is all right_."

" _You did very well today, my little Padawan_ ," the Master praised. " _Come now, it's time for our dinner_."

" _Thank you, Master_."

Snapping out of his wonderment of what he was hearing, Kanan realized this was the opportunity he'd been asking for. "Wait!" he cried, surging to his feet once again and stumbling towards the portal, hand reaching helplessly. But he was too late. The energy in the portal snapped away and it felt dormant again.

Feeling defeated and cruelly teased, Kanan sank to his knees for the third time.

So close. He'd been so close to someone who could heal his eyes. Kanan had thought he'd worked through all the grief and angst of his injury, but that one moment of hope had brought it all rushing back and now he felt just as despairing as ever.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to bawl like an infant. He wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from the world.

And he almost did all of those things, but his last instinct stuck a heavy cord and made him think.

He'd already done his stint of hiding from the world; and trapped in here, he was cut off from his family again, whether voluntarily or not. And if he didn't get his act together, Kanan would be hiding from the world for the rest of his life. (However long that would be in a space that didn't seem like it was meant to sustain life.) That would be terribly unfair to Hera and their unborn child. Unfair to Ezra and everyone else who was counting on him. Unfair to even himself for just giving up.

Kanan now had the vague idea that he might be able to influence the portals in some fashion, but he wasn't counting on it. He might have to find another way out of here.

But first... He needed to try something.

No.

Kanan took that thought back.

He needed to DO something. There is no try, after all, when it comes to the Force.

Settling more comfortably into his meditation pose, he listened to the Force with his heart and followed it to where he hurt the most.

And it wasn't his eyes like you'd expect.

The first place within him that hurt was his essential self, his soul, his psyche, whatever you wanted to call it.

Being left here had reopened a wound that he'd thought he'd truly sealed closed after talking with the Bendu. Losing his sight had done such a number on his confidence that it had taken months to come back to something resembling normal. And even more months to learn to deal with it. He'd thought the Bendu had helped him past the final hurdle, which was to open his mind to truly see with the Force, but now he knew that hadn't been the end of it.

This experience had shown him that.

Kanan thought he'd learned how to let go of what he loved. Whether it be his vision, or Hera, or his Padawan; he thought he'd already come to terms with these things being taken away from him at any given time. But being thrown in this endless space with no clear path out had brought a disturbing amount of panic and despair that no true Jedi Master should ever feel. Not that he claimed to be a Master, but he did strive towards being one.

He needed to do more than just resign himself to the possibility that he may never see Hera or his family again; he needed to truly accept it as the possible will of the Force, just like losing his sight had been the will of the Force. And even if he made it back to them today or tomorrow, the Force might see fit to take him away from them again the next week.

All he could do was his very best for them to see that they were as prepared as possible for life without him in it.

Which, he realized, was already done.

He'd taught Ezra everything he could possibly teach him about the Force, combat, life, family, and love. And the boy wasn't really a boy anymore. Not at eighteen years old. Not with the title of Lieutenant Commander attached to his name. And definitely not if he'd grown up enough that Sabine had finally seen past the childish flirting Ezra had subjected her to so many years ago and found the man within him to fall in love with. Ezra didn't need Kanan anymore. Not really. In fact, Ezra was ready to take the final trial to become a Jedi Knight. And it was a bittersweet realization, as it brought home the fact that Ezra had accomplished in just three and a half years what most Jedi took at least sixteen years to accomplish but was more like an average of eighteen.

Kanan was so proud of his Padawan.

Technically, Kanan was above average as well, because, despite only being Knighted two years ago, he had been fourteen when the Order was exterminated, and had only truly become a Jedi again after Ezra joined the crew, so that made it roughly fifteen years of learning to become a Knight for him. It would have been a noteworthy accomplishment if he hadn't spent a good portion of his life being as un Jedi like as he could manage. He figured it balanced out to the point where he was just a so-so Jedi; nothing special or worth remembering.

But Ezra... He was special. He was just so genuinely good and caring that everyone he met was drawn to him, sometimes without even realizing it. Force, he wished he could introduce him to Master Depa. She would have loved Ezra too.

And as far as Hera and their child was concerned, there wasn't much more he could do to ensure them a safe and happy future. As he'd learned long ago, Hera was fiercely independent and scoffed at the idea of settling down in one place as long as there were people that needed help. He'd never been able to provide her with a home or the financial stability of a 9-5 job, but she hadn't wanted him to. He was pretty sure she would have hated him eventually if he'd tried. What Hera did have was a very strong circle of friends and family that would stand by her to the very end. And she had built that all on her own.

Technically, aside from being an asset to her missions, Hera didn't really need him. At least not logically. But he knew that she loved him unconditionally, just as he did her, and that together they were stronger than alone.

Force, he missed her. He reached for their bond out of habit for comfort and found it to be a miniscule fraction of what he normally felt from her. Concerned, even though he knew she'd made it past the blockade and had jumped to hyperspace successfully in the sketchy, patched together old U-Wing, he tried Ezra and found the same thing.

That reassured him that it was this place that was interfering with his connections to Hera and Ezra and not that she was floating in space somewhere, on the verge of expiring. Maybe he was just that far from them, as mind boggling as that thought was.

As Kanan felt the last vestiges of an invisible weight lift from his shoulders, he felt whole again for the first time in much too long. He had finally, after too many trials to think about, learned to let go. The Force gave him a little nudge of congratulations, making him smile slightly. As a youngling, he'd never quite believed that the Force was an entity into and of itself; that it was just a supply of power to tap into. But after too many years of avoiding it, and more years relearning it, Kanan truly understood what it meant to be one with the Force. it was like having another family member that you could always count on to be there for you. It was also like the wise old grandparent that knew too much and earned your respect despite yourself for the knowledge they contained. Even when that knowledge didn't seem like it was to your advantage.

Kanan sighed as a hint of humour rippled through the Force. _"What do you want?"_ echoed through his mind again, planted there by the Force, helping him to get back on track to his original purpose. Now that he'd settled the wound in his soul once and for all, he went after the more physical.

His eyes.

In Kanan's mind, a picture formed of the orbs that used to let him see, and he saw the burnt and frazzled nerve endings that had never healed properly. He saw the clouded over lenses that had formed in a last ditch effort to protect his eyes. He saw the scar tissue in each individual skin cell around those eyes.

One cell at a time, one fried nerve ending at a time, taking painstaking care, Kanan sent a bit of Force to the injured areas and watched them bloom and glow within his mind. He was pretty sure it took hours, but he was determined to get this right so he didn't care. A Master Healer could probably have fixed him in a fraction of the time.

Kriff, even the padawan could have fixed him faster, he thought with wry amusement, but Kanan was slowly but surely healing himself and euphoria was seeping into his bones with every cell he could see repair itself with the assistance of the Force and his determination.

Finally, Kanan thought his purpose was complete. He couldn't find any more cells to heal. Everything in his mind's eye was glowing happily and practically dancing with the Force filling him right now.

Taking a deep breath for courage, Kanan reached up and felt the skin around his eyes. It felt smooth again, perhaps even smoother than before Maul's lightsabre strike.

So he opened his eyes.

And blinked. And blinked again. Then gasped in startled wonder.

Kanan could see, and it was like he was floating in space without the ice cold vacuum. (Which he could say for a fact that it was brutal, after having experienced it not once, but twice.)

It was black, so black, but tiny stars twinkled everywhere, and it took him a moment to realize that each star represented yet another portal. There had to be millions of portals. And they were all connected by winding, almost invisible paths that had no rhyme or reason; just meandered up, down, and around in whatever way they wished.

He could wander around in here until he was old and grey and never see a portal that would lead him home.

But Kanan refused to let that thought settle.

He would go home to his family again. He would see his Hera again. He would see his child when it was born. He would see Ezra and Sabine and Zeb again. Gahhhhh. He would even see that stupid droid again.

Kanan took the two steps back to the mask he'd dropped and picked it up, finger tracing the jaig eyes that Sabine had painted on the dark green mask she made him, remembering the day she'd given it to him.

" _I put jaig eyes on it for you, Kanan_ ," she'd said, her voice softer and more tentative then he'd ever heard from her before. " _They're worn only by those who have proven themselves in honourable combat. You have more than earned the right to wear them. I hope you're okay with that_."

Kanan remembered reaching out to where he sensed her presence to be and tentatively patting what he dearly hoped was a shoulder. " _Thank you, Sabine. This means a lot to me_."

Then she'd surprised the heck out of him by hugging him for three whole seconds really hard before running away. She'd never hugged Kanan before that. In fact, he didn't know if she'd hugged anyone before that. But since... Well, she wasn't exactly a cuddler, but she did sit closer to people and even leaned on them once in a while. And she'd even given Kanan a couple more hugs, the most notable of which was when she'd stayed behind on Krownest.

Now Kanan smiled at the memory as he looked at the stylized shriek hawk eyes on his mask, finally getting to appreciate her art again. Kanan was going to have to get her to show him everything she'd painted over the last couple years, even if that meant wandering all over Capital City on both Lothal and Garel so she could point out all her graffiti.

Spurred by a rumble in his stomach, Kanan got a move on and started walking down the pathway in front of him before he remembered that the wolves had been leading them on a much higher pathway. Gathering the abundant Force around him, he leapt up, and up again, until he was three pathways higher. He wasn't sure if this was the right one, but at least it had to be closer.

"Okay portals, show me what you got," Kanan mumbled to them as he started walking again. And just like that, all the portals around him turned on, multiple voices speaking all at once, startling Kanan.

Frag, he didn't think that actually would work.

Snorting at himself for not giving the Force more credit, Kanan strode down the path to the closest portal, drawn by the sound a familiar voice.


	3. Masters

**A/N: In case you skipped straight to this chapter, I have rewritten and restructured this story. I recommend re-reading the first two chapters again because there are changes, especially in character development. :D This chapter is entirely new.**

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**Masters:**

_D15/1 BBY, World Between Worlds_

_"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us. It penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."_

Kanan nearly skidded to a stop in front of the portal, eyes eagerly searching for a familiar copper headed Jedi Master. What he found was a grey haired old man in a room with a blond boy about Ezra's age, and two droids that looked disturbingly like the ones he knew worked for Senator Organa.

Kanan blinked at the image as an old version of Master Kenobi stood and walked over to the droid he was pretty sure was called Artoo. Ezra had said that Master Kenobi wasn't the same as in the image of the holocron, but holy stars, had he ever aged! Then again, so had Kanan. He was decidedly more grown up than the last time he'd seen Master Kenobi in person, that's for sure.

Artoo had been beeping something while Kanan was gawking. Playing it back in his mind, he was pretty sure the droid said something about a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 _"Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are my little friend."_ Obi-Wan patted the dome of Artoo a couple times. _"And where you come from."_

Kanan raised a brow at that. Now, he could be wrong, but he seemed to recall that Anakin Skywalker had a silver and blue astromech called Artoo that was practically a hero of the war right along with his master. It was possible that there were more than just one silver and blue R2 units rolling around the galaxy, but Kanan didn't think it was a coincidence that Senator Organa ended up with the most famous one. And if all of that was the case, then Obi-Wan should recognize his Padawan's astromech, old age setting in not.

 _"I saw part of the message he..."_ the boy started to say while he was working on a sleeping Threepio even as Artoo projected a hologram of a familiar Princess, the one and only Leia Organa, looking a couple years older than the last time he'd seen her in person on Lothal. He'd heard her voice quite a few times between then and now, though, sitting in on Rebellion meetings.

 _"I seem to have found it,"_ Obi-Wan cut him off dryly.

The image of Leia straightened up and she started speaking. _"General Kenobi, years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars."_ Kanan snorted at that. The Jedi weren't supposed to be slaves to the Senate, but it sure had ended up that way. _"Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship is under attack and my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I've placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."_

The people in the image were silent and thoughtful as the hologram of the Princess disappeared. Kanan was equally silent, stunned at this glimpse of what was definitely the future, because he knew for a fact that Leia Organa had never been sent to get Master Kenobi. In fact. If anyone would be sent to get the old Master, wouldn't it have made more sense to send Ezra? Or even him? Which begs the question; what had happened to Ezra and him that Organa would send his daughter to find Master Obi-Wan. And... not making it, obviously. Hearing that her ship was under attack was worrying as well. And what vital information did Artoo have? So many questions!

Obi-Wan looked over at the boy, a glint of mischief in his old blue grey eyes. _"You must learn the ways of the Force, if you're to come with me to Alderaan."_

The boy looked completely taken aback by the idea. _"Alderaan. I'm not going to Alderaan."_ He rose, picking up something from his lap that had been hidden until now. Kanan barely heard his next words as he stared at the lightsabre in the boy's hands, certain he'd seen it before many times. Once, in person, hooked to the belt of Anakin Skywalker, and multiple times as he played the training images of Skywalker stored in his holocron. _"It's late. I've got to get home. I'm going to be in for it as is."_

Kanan's mind was whirling, thinking that he'd finally figured out why Master Obi-Wan had stayed hidden for so many years. And why Senator Organa had lied about him being dead since it was now clear that the Senator had known about Obi-Wan all this time AND where he was. First, Master Obi-Wan said the boy could be trained in the ways of the Force, meaning he was Force sensitive. Second, Obi-Wan had apparently given the boy Anakin Skywalker's lightsabre. Third, now that he looked, he could see a striking resemblance between the teenager and Anakin, who hadn't been much older when he made those training holos. Kanan could only conclude that the boy was Skywalker's son and that Obi-Wan had been guarding him all these years. Rightly so, if he was even half as strong in the Force as his father had been. Kanan could just imagine what would have happened to the boy if Palpatine had found him. He'd be another Inquisitor, or worse, a future replacement for Darth Vader.

What a cringe worthy thought.

Oh. And he wasn't even remotely surprised that Anakin Skywalker had a son. The Knight's face was always plastered all over the holo news and he had about a billion fans who worshipped him like a movie star. Somewhere along the way, Anakin must have given into temptation. Probably more than once. This was a slightly less cringe worthy thought. It's not like he hadn't done something similar when he'd been bar hopping his way across the galaxy and doing his best to forget who he'd been raised as and drown out the Force always whispering in the back of his mind.

Thank the Force for Hera, or he'd probably be long dead by now of liver failure or some vile STD.

Kanan had been thinking so hard, he'd completely missed the rest of the scene and just caught the back end of the droids leaving the otherwise empty room. He sighed and walked on, disappointed that he didn't get to learn more about the young Skywalker.

The next portal was a bit of a trudge away, but the time passed quickly as Kanan thought back over everything that he'd learned that day. It had been an insane day, all things considered, starting with finding out that he was going to be a father and ending with the knowledge that there was another Skywalker wandering around on Tatooine right this minute who probably didn't know who he was. If he did, Master Kenobi wouldn't be telling him about the Force sometime in the near future.

As he approached the next portal, the voices became clearer amongst all of the others that echoed around the vast space. (The Force was making fun of his request, he was sure, by playing so many time portals all at once.)

_"Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as an ally, will conquer Vader and his Emperor. If you end your training now; if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil."_

Kanan paused in his steps as what was unmistakably Master Yoda's voice filled the space around him, but it sounded so sad, like he'd never heard it before. And his way of speaking things backwards was nearly missing. What had happened to Yoda? And who was he speaking to?

 _"Patience!"_ someone else said firmly. Master Kenobi? But he sounded weird, if it was in fact him.

 _"And sacrifice Han and Leia?"_ the voice that Kanan had just heard from the Skywalker boy in the other portal said roughly. Well, that answered that question. It made sense that Obi-Wan would take young Skywalker to train with Yoda. EVERYONE trained with Master Yoda. But... they were usually younglings when they did.

 _"If you honour what they fight for? Yes,"_ Yoda replied matter of factly.

Okay. First. Ouch. Second. Princess Leia was in danger again? Third. Who was Han? Kanan hurried the last couple of steps to the portal, dying of curiosity now. The scene that greeted him was certainly not what he was expecting. The setting was some sort of dark swamp. Yoda looked even older than he remembered, if that was even possible. The Skywalker boy looked a little older than in the last portal and was dressed in an orange flight suit while standing beside the ladder of an X-Wing, which told him that he was working for the Rebellion. But what really got Kanan was the glowing blue light surrounding a somewhat transparent Obi-Wan Kenobi. Was Master Kenobi a Force Ghost? He'd thought the rumour that such things were possible was a myth.

Apparently not.

Wow.

And ouch again. Master Kenobi was dead by this point. Sort of?

And he was speaking.

_"If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere."_

The young man looked beaten by this, but he merely said. _"I understand."_ Without looking at his mentors, Skywalker climbed up the ladder, calling, _"Artoo, fire up the converters."_

He settled into the cockpit and put on his helmet as Obi-Wan made one last plea. _"Luke!"_ (Yay! Kanan finally learned young Skywalker's first name!) _"Don't give in to hate. That leads to the dark side."_

 _"Strong is Vader,"_ Yoda added. (Understatement, Kanan thought.) _"Mind what you have learned! Save you it can!"_

 _"I will,"_ Luke said, looking down at the ancient little Master. _"And I'll return, I promise."_ He closed the transparisteel shell over the cockpit even as he was lifting off the ground. Someone was in a hurry. Kanan supposed if he was off to rescue Princess Leia, he'd be in a hurry too.

The image remained focused on Yoda even as Obi-Wan's image faded away.

 _"Told you I did. Reckless is he. Now, matters are worse,"_ Yoda said, a note of despair in his old voice.

Kanan couldn't help but smile just a little, though. It had been a well known fact in the Temple that Master Kenobi was forever going on about how reckless his Padawan was and how it was going to make him old before his years. And that Ahsoka hadn't been much better. Now, it seemed that Anakin's son was very much cut from the same cloth.

Poor Obi-Wan.

 _"That boy is our last hope,"_ Kenobi's voice said from the dark. Kanan winced as that confirmed that he and Ezra was most certainly out of the picture at this point in time.

Yoda looked up at the retreating lights of Luke's X-Wing, his wrinkled old face filling with certain knowledge. _"No, there is another."_

"Who?!" Kanan said out loud, not able to keep quiet as he watched.

At the same time, Obi-Wan said, _"You mean the sister? I suppose it is possible to train her as well, but she really doesn't have the temperament to be a Jedi. She has a rather spectacular temper that Solo is much too good at rising in her. Anakin would have been proud of her."_

Yoda chuckled, turning around with aid of his cane and hobbling towards a hut built into the side of a big tree's roots. _"Thinking of the apprentice, I am, actually. Strong enough in the Force she is, to take on Vader. Learnt much, she has."_

 _"But she's..."_ Obi-Wan started to say even as he reappeared and walked beside Yoda, looking much younger now; early twenties at the most, but still sporting his signature beard.

_"Know this I do, my friend. If wait we must, then wait we shall."_

_"I suppose. If the Force wills it. But I'm not giving up on Luke just yet,"_ Obi-Wan said stubbornly as Yoda paused at the entrance to his hut.

 _"Hmmmmm."_ Yoda said, looking up at the glowing image that towered over him. _"A chance, there is yet for Luke,"_ he said noncommittally as he turned around and peered outwards into the depths of the swampy jungle. _"But something else of interest there is occurring now. Feel it, can you not?"_ Yoda said.

Obi-Wan turned around as well, making it feel to Kanan that both the Masters were staring right at him. It was creepy as hell. _"I do,"_ Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. _"We're being watched."_

Kanan reared back a step, shivers running down his spine. Did they know? How was that even possible?

Yoda narrowed his eyes right at Kanan. _"Come out, you might as well. Seen more then you should have already, so why not?"_

Kanan sucked in a breath, now certain they were speaking about him.

Holy poodoo.

That's all he could think for a good ten seconds.

Then he kicked himself forward as if drawn and he touched the portal with his fingers. They disappeared.

Kanan snatched his hand back, and stared at it as tingles ran through it and up his arm.

Now he was torn. Could he afford to spend some time with two of the Masters he'd looked up to the most as a youngling? If he went through the portal, would he be able to get back?

No.

No.

The answer was no.

As much as he'd love to talk with Master's Yoda and Kenobi, he couldn't. He had another mission right now, and going through that portal was a risk he just wasn't willing to take.

He stepped further away from the portal, shaking his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Master Yoda almost smiled, still looking as if right at him. _"Then, if come out you won't, come in, we will."_

"What?!"

Even as Kanan watched, Master Yoda settled into a cross-legged position right where he was and closed his eyes. A moment later a replica of Yoda was standing right in front of Kanan on the nearly invisible walkway inside the portal world.

The glowing form of Master Obi-Wan appeared beside him.

They grinned at Kanan as he gawked and sputtered. "How... What... Kriff."

Yoda smacked him in the leg with his cane. "Young ones. Always underestimating the power of the Force."

Kanan resisted the urge to rub the sore spot on his leg, pulled himself together, and quickly knelt in front of the Grand Master of the Jedi. "I'm sorry, Masters, for my unbecoming reaction. It's been a weird day."

Master Obi-Wan settled in a kneeling position as well so they were all at roughly the same head height. "Tell us about it," he said encouragingly.

"Are you sure?" Kanan asked.

"Busy, do we look?" Yoda asked dryly.

Kanan glanced into the image of the portal again; the bleakness of the setting, the complete lack of anyone but Master Yoda in the picture, and shook his head. "No. I guess not."

Yoda snorted inelegantly.

Obi-Wan smiled encouragingly. "We really would like to hear how you came to be in The World Between Worlds. It is not supposed to be known to the living."

"I can see how having access to this place would be major concern," Kanan said. He raised a brow at Yoda. "But how do you know about it, then? And are you really projecting your image? Cause that's pretty awesome." Kanan was afraid he sounded like an awestruck youngling, but he was too amazed to care much.

Master Yoda smiled widely at Kanan, showing his pointy teeth, and leaned on his cane. "Too much time on my hands have I had. Amazing what you can learn when you have nothing to do but meditate and talk to ghosts."

Kanan turned his eyes to Obi-Wan. "So you are a Force Ghost. I thought that was a myth."

"So did I, once." Obi-Wan said, his eyes looking far away for a moment. He returned his gaze to Kanan. "Now, explain your weird day, please."

Kanan settled a little more on his heels. "Just remember you asked for it when I'm still talking an hour from now. I think some of this might require more than a little back story."

"Know most of your story, we do," Yoda said. "Following you, I have been, since I first talked to your padawan. Intriguing, your lives are."

That... was kind of creepy. But... okay? And somehow comforting?

"Errrmmm. All right?" Kanan gave Yoda a sideways look, receiving a wink in return. "I guess I'll start with the lothwolves. Do you know about them?"

"We do," Obi-Wan answered. "They're the Guardians of the Lothal Temple. A Temple that was purposefully erased from the Jedi Archives by Master Yoda after Order 66 so it wouldn't fall into the Emperor's hands."

Kanan winced. "Yeah. I'm afraid we kind of led the Inquisitors right to it. Sorry about that. The Emperor must know about it by now."

"Oh, he knows," Obi-Wan said dryly. "I believe, in your time line, the Empire is currently tearing the Temple apart brick by brick in an attempt to find the secret to the portal land."

Kanan sucked in a breath in alarm and nearly jumped to his feet. "Then I have to stop them!"

Obi-Wan raised a reassuring hand. "Worry not. Your Padawan is working on it as we speak."

"He is? Of course he is." Kanan settled back on his heels with a smile. "Ezra is amazing isn't he?"

Yoda and Obi-Wan exchanged amused looks at the obvious pride Kanan felt in his apprentice, thinking of a time when Obi-Wan had said the exact same words about Anakin.

Kanan got himself back on track. "Anyway, I first saw the lothwolves this morning, but Ezra was aided by one last night to escape the Empire. By that point, my morning was already an emotional maelstrom." He paused for a moment, wondering if he should say the next part. "Do you two know about Hera and me?"

Obi-Wan nodded slightly, a tiny smile playing on his mouth. "Yes. And Ezra and his Mando girl. Go on."

Kanan breathed a soft sigh of relief at the lack of judgement in their eyes. "I sensed that Hera was pregnant this morning," he said bravely, quickly, and then forged on before they could say anything. "And then I had to watch her take off in a rustbucket of a ship and fly into an Imperial blockade. I can tell you my heart was in my throat the whole time until I felt her shoot off into hyperspace."

"I do believe I can understand that sentiment," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

"You, Master Kenobi?" Kanan's tone was the epitome of incredulous.

Obi-Wan's smile turned into a smirk. "You're nowhere near the first Jedi to fall in love, Caleb."

Kanan had to remind himself not to gawk for two reasons. One, because THE Obi-Wan Kenobi had more or less just admitted to breaking the code. And two, because he'd used his original name, which no one had called Kanan by since he was fourteen. But, now that he thought about it, Caleb was the name Master Kenobi knew him by, so it made sense that was the name he would automatically use.

It felt strange though; Kanan hadn't thought of himself as Caleb for so long, it no longer felt like his name in any sense of the word.

"But what about the code?" Kanan couldn't help but ask.

Both Yoda and Obi-Wan shrugged. "Understand, now, that it should have been reworded, I do." Yoda admitted. "Many problems, secrets caused."

"Now there's an understatement," Obi-Wan muttered.

Yoda smacked him in the knee with his cane.

Obi-Wan shot him a glare. "I'm not a youngling anymore for you to discipline."

"Then act like it, you should," Yoda shot back.

Obi-Wan actually rolled his eyes at the Grand Master.

They then proceeded to glare at each other, unblinking, in an age old staring contest.

Kanan watched this exchange with fascinated eyes. Who knew that the Masters could act like children too?

But... Maybe he should get the ball rolling again on this conversation. Ezra and the others could probably use his help chasing the Empire off Lothal for good, and sitting here wasn't going to accomplish that.

He cleared his throat loudly, startling the two Masters across from him into shooting him guilty glances. "Anyway," he said pointedly. "It was the lothwolves that dropped me off in here after they helped us escape the Imperials that had found our camp. I guess the wolves have a purpose for it, but I'm not sure if I've discovered it yet. Although, so far I've learnt how to use Force Healing and healed my eyes, and learnt about Luke Skywalker, and talked with you two, so that's pretty significant."

"Impressive, actually," Yoda admitted. "Wondering, I had been, about your restored vision."

"I would say so, as well." Obi-Wan added. He stroked his copper beard thoughtfully as his eyes turned introspective for a couple of seconds. "But you're right; you haven't yet completed the true purpose that the Guardians wish you to achieve." He rose to his feet and Kanan copied him. "We should leave you too it, then. Just try not to interfere TOO much with any of the time lines. Some things are just meant to be." He gave Kanan a very pointed look that Kanan wasn't quite sure how to interpret.

Did Obi-Wan just give him permission to interfere in a time line? If he was careful, that is? This day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

"I guess I'll continue on my journey down the paths, then." Kanan said. "Thank you for coming to see me. I enjoyed this."

"So did we," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

Yoda tapped Kanan's foot with his cane to get his attention. Kanan gazed down at him with a questioning look.

"One thing more, before you go. Kneel, Caleb Dume."

Kanan knelt, heart jumping as his mind came up with a possible reason for this.

Yoda touched his cane to Kanan's shoulder and then the other. "A Master of the Jedi arts, I sense you are now, Caleb. And proud am I of what you have achieved on your own. Know that Master Billaba is also very proud of you and wishes she could tell you herself." Kanan had to blink back tears at this as he met Yoda's wise old eyes with all the gratitude in his heart for the Grand Master to see. Yoda smiled softly in return. "Rise, Master Dume, and remember, never alone are you."

"Thank you," Kanan whispered as he rose to his feet, feeling overwhelmed once again. The other two Masters gave him one last smile before disappearing. Kanan's eyes shot back to the image in the portal and watched Master Yoda open his eyes and seem to smile right at him one last time. Then the old Master rose painfully to his feet and hobbled into his hut, closing the door behind him. The image in the portal faded away and went blank.

Kanan turned and walked on, eyes wide and feeling kind of numb.

He was a real Master now.

It was nearly unbelievable.

Kanan couldn't wait to tell Hera and Ezra.

There was a new bounce in his step as he strode on towards the next portal in the line and a smile growing on his bearded face.

Master Dume. He liked the sound of that.

Maybe he would change his last name back.

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